Divine (28 page)

Taking the phone from his hand, Georgiana cuddled closer to Sebastian. Despite the fire, she could feel the evening chill seeping in. He was so
warm
.

James smiled, his eyes not missing the fact that Georgiana and Sebastian were huddled together on the sofa.

“Forgive the old-fashioned nature of this question, but may I ask what your intentions are toward my sister?”

Sebastian instantly stiffened.

“James! How dare you embarrass Sebastian by asking—”

“My intentions are most honorable, Knight. And I must say that your question, to me, is anything but old-fashioned,” Sebastian said, his voice a wonder of irony. “However, your sister has already repeatedly refused my many offers to make her my countess.”

James grimaced. “Pity. I had always heard you were a decent sort, Stratton. Give her time. Though heaven knows she would try a saint.” He shook his head.

“Pardon me, James. I am sitting right here.” Georgiana waved her hand in front of the screen.

“Oh, I know,” he replied without a trace of apology.

“Yes, she can be a sore trial,” Sebastian agreed.

“It’s her fascination with mysteries,” James commiserated.

“Exactly. And the endless curiosity.”

“Excuse me. Yoo-hoo. Still here.” Georgiana waved her hand again.

“She has no fear. She actually
likes
being scared.” A smile teased the edges of Sebastian’s face.

James shuddered. “Imagine trying to raise her. It was ghastly.”

“You poor man.” Sebastian clicked his tongue without a trace of sarcasm. “You have my deepest sympathies.”

“Still here.”

James nodded. “I’ve often wondered if my hair is truly blond or just shot through with white from her antics.”

“No wonder you are a man of such upstanding character.”

“Precisely.” James scrubbed his hand through his hair again. “The refiner’s fire and all that.”

Both men suddenly grinned widely at each other.

“I hate you both so much.” Georgiana tried to keep her expression mock-severe.

James laughed and looked at her. “Are you sure you won’t accept his offer, Georgie? Assuming Stratton still wants your troublesome self, of course.”

Sebastian shrugged. “I
have
been reevaluating my offer.”

Georgiana’s stomach instantly dropped. Was he serious—?

“Wise man,” James agreed.

“I am generally considered a fount of wisdom.” Sebastian made a show of piously examining his fingernails.

James sighed. “’Tis a pity. Arthur would probably wet his breeches with glee over the thought of an alliance with the Earl of Stratton.”

“It’s entirely possible he already has,” Sebastian deadpanned, head still down.

James let out a crack of laughter. “Damn, but I like you, Stratton.”

“The feeling is mutual, Knight.” Sebastian grinned, lifting his head.

“Like the brother I never had,” James said wistfully.

“Dang, that was cold, James,” Emme’s voice called. “Though funnier if Arthur were here.”

Sebastian laughed. In a flash, he was that boy Georgiana knew. She could feel the tension ease out of him.

“Knight, your sister has run me ragged these last few weeks. At the rate she is going, she will either get herself killed or—”

“Or you will kill her yourself?”

“Precisely.”

“Yes, that is the Georgie we all know and love.”

“Are you both quite through?” Georgiana fixed them with a hard look.

Both men stared at her, eyes wide and innocent.

Emme suddenly stuck her dark, curly head into the frame. “They’re bromancing, Georgie. You might want to give them a moment. Let them work it out of their systems.”

Emme sat down on the bed next to James and slowly surveyed Sebastian, tossing Georgiana a decidedly arch look—a look that clearly said
Emme
did not find Sebastian wanting.

“Okay, seriously, Georgie. What
have
you been up to?” James fixed her with his sternest I-am-your-older-brother stare.

With a grimace, Georgiana started at the beginning and told them everything. Her letter, the glowing Jupiter symbol, the threatening notes, Miss Franklin’s untimely death.

Somewhere between the Jupiter symbol on Blackwell’s walking stick and Lady Ambrosia’s terrified warnings, Georgiana realized her toes were no longer cold. Sebastian had wrapped one of his large hands around them. A strong, blessedly dry hand.

Curiously, his warm fingers on her toes did funny things to her stomach. And her breathing, making it difficult to keep a coherent train of thought.

Swallowing, Georgiana finished the story, recounting everything from her final conversation with Lady Ambrosia.

“Georgiana Elizabeth Augusta Knight.” James hung his head between his arms, shaking it back and forth. “Wow! I’m feeling such a strong urge to strangle you right now.”

“I would be more than happy to do the honors, Knight,” Sebastian offered, giving Georgiana’s toes a hard squeeze.

James groaned. “So, let me get this straight. You pretended to be an agent of Lord Zeus to both Blackwell
and
Lady Ambrosia. This Lord Zeus who, I might add, has shown no compunction whatsoever in murdering other meddling young ladies. What did you think he would do once he found out about your duplicity? Pat your head and laugh at the good joke?”

“Hear, hear,” Sebastian agreed, his voice deep and rumbly.

“Naturally, James, I could not have anticipated death would have been—”

“Georgie, you have made yourself a wanted woman.”

She swallowed.

It figured it would happen to her eventually. And it was still the tiniest bit thrilling. Well, it was actually
excessively
thrilling, but given the way Sebastian and James were staring at her . . .

She wisely held her tongue.

“What are we to do with her, Knight?” Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Nothing.” James shook his head at her. “You say the portal is closed. So Georgie isn’t going anywhere.”

Georgiana opened her mouth to speak, but James cut her off with a sweep of his hand.

“No, Georgie. Even if Stratton here decides to return—which I don’t see what would keep him in this century given his responsibilities in 1813—”

“Agreed. I intend to return as soon as the portal allows it,” Sebastian murmured.

James nodded his agreement. “However, you—Georgiana—will stay. I don’t care that you haven’t written that letter yet. I won’t risk your life over this foolishness.”

Silence.

Waves sloshed soothingly. The fire popped cheerily.

“For the record, I am truly sorry.” Georgiana chewed her cheek. “I obviously did not mean for the charade to go this far. But why am I here?”

“Georgie—”

“We are not going to argue—”

“No, hear me out.” She held out a pleading hand. “Why did the portal work? Why were we able to come through and, yet, now can’t return? We know the portal only works when one’s life path necessitates a trip through time, when people and events are linked. Given that, would it not seem logical there is something we need to accomplish? Or at least something Sebastian or I must do here?”

James arched an eyebrow at her.

“That’s actually not a bad point,” he said after a second

“There must be something we need to research or divine here—”

“Yes, but the universe is notorious for not allowing you to see things from your own life, remember?” Emme interjected. “How can you do any research?”

They all pondered that thought.

“Well, we can at least try,” Georgiana shrugged. “It will give us something to do.”

“Agreed.” James ran a hand through his hair again. “Emme and I will cut our trip short and head home in a day or two. I’ve been regretting not flying back to see you anyway. I’m glad you are here to stay. Welcome home, sister dearest.”

After ending the conversation with James, Sebastian was surprised Georgiana stayed tucked against his side, head resting on his shoulder. He still had his hand wrapped around her unknown toes.

Night had long ago settled. The fire burned low. She sighed, body rising against his arm.

The silence
should
have felt uncomfortable.

It didn’t.

Sebastian shook his head and tilted it back to rest against the top of the sofa. How could he ever have imagined the events of this day?

That letter? The one that had teased her into returning to the past?

He sucked in a painful breath at the thought.

He hated him. The man to whom she wrote those words. Whoever he proved to be.

She had lived so . . . much.

Why, in all his campaigning as a soldier and responsibilities as an earl, had it never occurred to him Georgiana would experience her
own
changing journey?

He chuckled, running his hand over his face.

“What?” she asked, muffled.

“You are truly a ghastly chaperoner.”

He could feel her smile.

“According to the
dashing
Earl of Stratton?”

“Precisely. The remarkable-and-in-no-way-pathetic Earl of Stratton.”

She laughed in his arm.

She did not, however,
contradict
his assessment.

He sighed and slumped even lower into the sofa, extending his still booted feet toward the fire, crossing them at the ankle.

“So what are we to do now?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

He gestured at them, nestled together. The silence of the empty house around them.

“In 1813, being
this
alone with a gently bred young lady would necessitate our betrothal.”

She let out an exasperated puff of air.

“I’m not saying that will happen, mind you,” he quickly corrected, holding out a staying hand.

He wasn’t in the mood to hear her go on about how
un-marriageabl
e he was.

Not again. Not tonight. Not ever, actually.

“I’m just pointing out that this situation is compromising,” he continued. “We disappeared at the same time in 1813 and there will probably be talk.”

She shrugged. “Please. It is what it is. You heard James. I am not going anywhere, so it seems unlikely I will return. Besides, Arthur cares mightily about family honor, and he knows about the portal. He will put two and two together and cover for us. Running off with you would be a terrible scandal, so he will concoct some plausible story. Something about my aunt in Shropshire suddenly needing my help and you returning unexpectedly to Stratton Hall.”

“And us here?”

He couldn’t help it. He had to ask the question.

“What do you mean?” She pulled back to look at him.

He gave a charming smile. “Well, I am quite
dashing,
and you have spent the evening cuddled next to me . . .”

She didn’t deny it.

“I was cold, Sebastian. And you have warmed my toes.” For emphasis, she wiggled her feet which were still nestled under his hand.

Treacherous little beasts, those toes.

“Besides,” she continued, “we
are
good friends. And in the twenty-first century, good friends who share a house are called roommates. It happens all the time and no one finds it untoward.”

She nudged his shoulder.

“Come, roomie.” She unwrapped herself from his side and stood, holding out a hand. “It’s getting late and tomorrow will be Monday, so we will be able to start hunting for information. Besides, I am
so
ready for a shower.” She tugged him to his feet. “Let me show you the marvels of twenty-first century plumbing.”

He allowed Georgiana to drag him upstairs and walk him through using the water closet and wash basin with instant hot water.

And then there was the shower.

How had he lived so long without such an amazingly marvelous thing? He stood under the streaming fountain, letting the warm water wash over him. Wondering if the next few days would prove as overwhelming as the first.

With smart phones and hot showers, what could he possibly offer Georgiana that compared?

The girl he knew was long gone. Georgiana had changed, altered through the sheer business of living.

Would he love the woman she had become as much as the girl she had been?

And heaven help him if he did.

Chapter 18

Duir Cottage

September 16, 2013

Birthday in minus 22 days plus two hundred years

M
onday dawned bright and clear. The crisp air strongly hinting of autumn even though the leaves had not yet started to change. Georgiana stared at the ceiling for a moment before getting out of bed.

She tried hard not to over-think the situation with Sebastian.

She
tried
not to. With varying success.

After going to bed, she had lain awake debating if he had been serious in his conversation with James. That he was reevaluating his offer of marriage.

Trying to decide how she felt about it. A part of her was relieved at the thought.

But there was also a piece of her heart that wanted to weep.

It was all most confusing.